368 State Horticultural Society. 



However, it is not within the scope of this article to give directions 

 for spraying, but we do assert positively that unless the foliage is pro- 

 tected, no amount or kind of pruning or other means can be brought to 

 bear that will produce good crops of fruit. 



Our first and most profitable apple orchard in Missouri was one 

 that from planting received good cultivation, annual pruning, both root 

 and top ; it came into bearing very early, and continued to produce heavy 

 crops right along, with only two partial failures, and at the end of 

 twenty years from planting had net eight hundred dollars to the acre. 



This was prior to the great scourge of deadly fungus now prevail- 

 ing. 



Do you ask how we are succeeding at present? We answer fairly 

 well; our orchard, made up largely of Ben Davis, Jonathan and Wine- 

 sap, ten years old, is in a fine, healthy condition, by reason of good culti- 

 vation, pruning and spraying. Last spring it had a fine, healthy bloom, 

 which on Jonathan and Winesap was badly killed by a severe freeze the 

 last of April, while the Ben Davis in a measure escaped and produced 

 from one up to eight bushels of fine apples to the tree. We count this 

 quite satisfactory for one of our unfavorable seasons, when many orch- 

 ards near by of same varieties did not produce one peck to the tree. 



PINCHING. 



This operation consists of pinching or cutting ofif the ends of the 

 young growth. The check given concentrates the sap in the part re- 

 maining and this is almost certain to produce fruit buds. We deem 

 this process impracticable in our large orchards, yet it is a fact that this 

 system, together with summer pruning and cropping olT the ends of the 

 young growth, has a great tendency to produce fruitfulness. 



ROOT PRUNING. 



This is more important, and has more to do with producing fruit 

 than top pruning. The work should be done in early spring as soon 

 as the frost is out. If only a few trees to be treated, it may be done with 

 a long sharp spade, and on a larger scale with a nurseryman's single 

 tree-digger, or a cutter made for the purpose. Run on two sides of the 

 row and cut deep; on trees five years old run as close as four feet, 

 and on older trees further out, owing to age and size of trees. 



GIRDLING. 



This operation consists in cutting around the trunk of the tree 

 in two places (in June) and peeling out a ring of bark three inches long. 



A 



